


Gorgeous Men

by Jemppu



Series: Months [10]
Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Culmets - Freeform, M/M, Tumblr, honey mushroom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:13:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23818999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jemppu/pseuds/Jemppu
Summary: Part of"Honey Mushroom"series of illustrated Culmets momentslisted here on tumblr, and of"Months"moments, taking place before the couple's ultimate Discovery mission.Hugh encounters an aspect of Paul he hasn't seen before.
Relationships: Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets
Series: Months [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1082124
Kudos: 12





	Gorgeous Men

**Author's Note:**

> The series gets released quite out of order, as inspiration dictates, so I urge you to check out the [series list on tumblr](https://tinyurl.com/honeyshroom).

## Months: Gorgeous Men

Hugh is just finishing up after shower, when he hears the front door of the suite unlock. He takes a step back from the sink to peek through the bathroom door and sees Paul rush in, throwing his jacket and travel case on the bed and taking a look around the room, likely to see, if Hugh is in.

  
  
Hugh steps out of the bathroom to greet his man, who’s now busily rummaging through his luggage, “Hi, honey. How was your flight?”  
  
“Late”, Paul huffs, takes a quick appreciative look over his shoulder at Hugh standing there in nothing but a towel, then goes back to his bag.  
  
Oh, wow! Hugh exclaims in his mind: did he just saw what he think he saw? Gorgeous.  
  
“Honey?” Hugh tries to arouse Paul’s attention again.  
  
“Just a second”, Paul says as he pulls out a toiletry bag from his case.  
  
“My lecture’s in about an hour” Paul explains, trying to cram some of the pulled out stuff back into the case, “I thought I’d have plenty of time to get myself ready here, alas, fucking flight delays decided otherwise”.  
  
He gives up with the case - for now - turns around and smiles warmly to greet the doctor.  
  
Damn, Hugh did see that right.  
  
“What?” Paul asks with confusion in his smile, prompted by the equally confused - and awestruck - look on Hugh’s face as the scientist walks over to embrace the showerfresh man.  
  
“This is something new”, Hugh says smiling admiringly and can’t help but to reach out and stroke the distinct scruff on Paul’s face, “I love it”.  
  
“A busy week is what that is”, Paul snickers, leaning in to give Hugh a kiss.  
  
Beard against beard. Damn, the friction is doing things to Hugh, he didn’t expect. He can’t even remember the time he last 'kissed a beard’.  
  
“If you’ll excuse me”, Paul pulls away from the kiss, far sooner than Hugh would care for, “I’ll need to go freshen up before the lecture”.  
  
“Sure”, Hugh nods absentmindedly, and lets the man disappear into the bathroom.  
  
Hugh crosses the room and goes to gather up Paul’s stuff off the bed, still thinking about it: he is loving the scruff! He has never seen Paul go this long unshaven before, he realizes, and hasn’t really even thought about it until now.  
  
He puts Paul’s stuff aside and climbs on the bed to sit down and relax, when the realization hits him.  
  
“Honey!?” he calls out after Paul, “you’re not shaving there, are you?”  
  
“What!?” Paul’s voice shouts back in a sharp, surprised tone in response to the unusually worded question.  
  
“What, if I am?” Paul’s head peeks through the bathroom door, "I gotta get presentable".  
  
Hugh smiles affectionately from the bed, to his adorable, scruffy faced man, “come here”, he says coaxingly, gesturing with his hand for Paul to come over.  
  
Paul emerges from the bathroom and walks across the room, smiling at Hugh apprehensively, “what is it?”.  
  
“Get your ass down over here”, Hugh says again, spreading his arm wide, inviting his man to lean in, “I want to feel that stubble on me”.  
  
Paul laughs, “what?”  
  
“Don’t question me”, Hugh sneers playfully, “you might not have appreciation for this, but I hardly get to experience it, thanks to your insisted sleekness”.  
  
“My what?” Paul laughs awkwardly, as Hugh pulls him down to sit on the bed, and leans in to kiss the man’s well defined jawline.  
  
“Your babyfacedness”, Hugh mumbles against Paul’s neck and goes to open the man’s collar for more access.  
  
“I… I don’t really have time for this right now”, Paul remarks, sounding rather sorry.  
  
“Just skip the shaving”, Hugh persuades, “if not now, I want this beard back here for tonight”.  
  
“I am not leaving this scruff on”, Paul pulls back to look at Hugh like he’s just suggested something completely incomprehensible, “I have a lecture to attend to!”  
  
“So what?” Hugh hums delighted leaning back in against the man’s cheek, “Paul, have you no idea how hot this beard looks on you?”  
  
“Oh, really?” Paul replies snidely, clearly disagreeing, “even still, I’m trying to make a convincing speech - not to… seduce my audience?”.  
  
“You should though”, Hugh laughs playfully, “see, how quickly the fundings start rolling in”.  
  
Paul flashes a slight fed up look at Hugh.  
  
“Honestly, honey”, Hugh smiles at Paul, trying to get the man to relax from his apparent work stress, “it gives you certain authority too.”  
  
“Why are we really talking about my beard, Hugh?” Paul huffs, seemingly having had enough of this conversation.  
  
“I already told you why: because I want that manly scruff on my skin”, Hugh laughs persuasively, “if you shave it off now, you rob me of the satisfaction of enjoying it tonight too”.  
  
“It’ll grow back”, Paul remarks dismissively.  
  
“Not overnight it won’t” Hugh persists, “we’re leaving tomorrow, and it could be weeks before I’ll get a change to meet that beard again - provided you even let me”.  
  
“ _"Meet the beard”_?“ Paul laughs, sounding rather compassionate in tone, "oh, Dear. Are you actually serious?”  
  
“I am now!”, Hugh huffs and puts on his sulky face - which is only half in jest, “why should you have all the fun?” he says, stroking his well groomed signature facial hair for emphasis.  
  
Oh, right. Paul suddenly seems to gain some new perspective.  
  
“Fine”, he huffs and rolls in the bed next to Hugh, “I can spare about twenty minutes - then I really must get ready”.  
  
“Eh…?” Hugh is sensing there’s not so much passion as there is 'slight’ pressure to perform from Paul, “how about we leave it till the evening?”  
  
“It’s now or not at all”, Paul states resolutely, “I said: I’m not leaving this on”.  
  
“I still don’t see why not”, Hugh insists.  
  
“Because it’s like walking around with fucking pubes on my chin”, Paul huffs irritated.  
  
“Excuse me?”  
  
“…is what it is on me!” Paul reiterates flustered. “Yours is fucking gorgeous”, he sighs and hangs his head in resignation, “I don’t fucking have time for this right now”.  
  
“Oh, honey. I’m sorry”, Hugh leans in to rub Paul’s shoulders, “I only wanted to say you too are gorgeous, more so than you seem to realize.” “But if it makes you feel that uncomfortable, then of course not”.  
  
“Thanks for bringing worth my fucking insecurities”, Paul snaps back. Immediately followed by a sharp frustrated sigh, which tells Hugh, that it came out way harsher, than intended.  
  
“I really didn’t mean to harass you in any way”, Hugh assures, continuing rubbing the man’s shoulders, “please, don’t feel bad about it - we all have our own self-conscious doubts”  
  
“Really?” Paul huffs, but clearly easing up on some of his irk, “I have hard time imagining what yours would be, mr. Perfectly Formed”.  
  
“Ouch?” Hugh laughs off the remark, “I wasn’t born like this, you know. I bet you never wondered **why** I might be so adamant on maintaining such a figure”.  
  
“Sorry”, Paul sighs out apologetically. “Because it is damn gorgeous?” he attempts to tell the man he gets it, without dwelling too deep. He appreciates the sincerity.  
  
“Thank you”, Hugh smiles warmly, “as is your immaculate grooming - immensely classy”.  
  
“…and so is yours, by the way”, Paul takes the opportunity to note, while appreciating the impromptu shoulder massage as well.  
  
Hugh smiles - _touché_. He is reminded, that he is himself indeed freshly groomed too. Guess he does have certain, similar 'hang ups’ about his own appearance as well, which the man has had a chance to get acquainted with already.  
  
“I just want to make sure you know, that you are gorgeous any which way”, Hugh adds reassuringly.  
  
“So, if I ever decided to actually grow a beard, you wouldn’t object?”, Paul huffs amused, “I think you managed to make that pretty clear”, he laughs.  
  
“Beard, mustache, second nose…”, Hugh smirks, “it’s all beautiful on you, honey”.  
  
“I see, you are much more accepting than me then”, Paul smirks right back, “I would dump your ass so quickly, if you ever grew another nose”.  
  
“I’m not sure you deserve me anymore, after hearing that”, Hugh laughs and slaps Paul’s back.  
  
“That’s what I’ve been wondering all along”, Paul remarks affectionately, “how do I?”

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts on the work posted along with the illustration on [**tumblr**](https://jmalkki.tumblr.com/post/174399994179/okay-not-what-was-scheduled-but-another-nice).
> 
> _Likes, shares, comments and what have you, all appreciated on:_  
>  _[ **tumblr**](http://jmalkki.tumblr.com/) | [**twitter**](https://twitter.com/Jemppu) | [**instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/jeminamalkki/) | [**DeviantArt**](https://www.deviantart.com/jemppu)_


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